CBI to close probe in DSP murder FIR filed by wife

File photo: Wife of slain Uttar Pradesh police officer Zia-ul-Haq mourns his death at their residence in Deoria. (PTI Photo)

In what could be termed as a breather for controversial Uttar Pradesh politician Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya in the DSP Zia-ul Haq murder case, the CBI will soon file a closure report in one of its four FIRs registered on the complaint of slain police officer's wife Parveen Azad.

Parveen Azad had named Raja Bhaiya, five times independent MLA from Kunda and the then minister in the UP government, as main conspirator for murder of her husband. Raja Bhaiya had to resign from the cabinet after charges leveled by Parveen Azad.

Zia-ul Haq was posted as a circle officer in Kunda, when mob violence after the murder of pradhan Nanhe Yadav of Balipur village in the area on March 2 claimed his life.

"We are closing the probe in the FIR on technical grounds as there cannot be two FIRs for same set of charges," said a CBI official requesting anonymity.

According to CBI sources, UP police had registered four FIRs in the incident. The first FIR was registered in connection with murder of Nanhe Yadav.

File photo: People participate in a candle light march in support of the slain DSP Zia-ul-Haq in Lucknow. Deepak Gupta/HT photo

The second FIR was registered on the complaint of local SHO in connection with the murder of DSP Haq. Raja Bhaiya was not named as accused in this FIR, and it instead named 10 other accused.

The third FIR was registered in connection with the murder of Suresh, the brother of Nanhe Yadav, who was also killed in the ensuing violence.

The fourth FIR was registered on the complaint of Parveen Azad in which Raja Bhaiya and his four alleged associates were named as accused.

"Since there were two FIRs pertaining only to murder of DSP Haq - one by local the SHO and second by Parveen Azad, we have decided to close probe in Azad's FIR. The closure of probe in FIR doesn't stop the agency from investigating any of the accused named in the FIR," clarified the official.

But sources say, the CBI has not been able to find any evidence to suggest involvement of Raja Bhaiya in the case. His lie-detector test has also not come up with any adverse comment. So it is a virtual clean chit for the Kunda strongman in the case.